Sheet-metal tobacco-box.



I. EBERHART. SHEET METAL TOBACCO BOX. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1908.

Patented July 27,1909.

. UNITED s ArEs PATENT OFFICE.-

FELIX EBERHART, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIoNoR TO AMERICAN (AN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SHEET-METAL TOBACCO-BOX.

Patented July 27, 1909.

Application filed January 11, 1908. Serial No. 416,411.

, citizen of the United States, residing in New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sheet-Metal Tobacco- Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in sheet metal boxes for holding tobacco, ciga- Y rettes, cigars and other articles.

The object of my invention is to provide a sheet metal box of a strong, simple and durable construction, having a hinged cover and capable of being cheaply manufactured, and having means for securely lockingor holding the hinged cover in its closed position, and whichat the time will permit of its being readily, conveniently and repeatedly opened and again securely closed.

My'invention consists, essentially; in a shoot metal box having on the front of the body near the upper edge thereof opposite ."hc hinge of the cover, an integral outwardly projecting loop or keeper through which a flexible tongue, depending from the front flange or rim of the cover, may pass the hinged cover is closed and then be outwardly and upwardly bent about such lock or keeper so as to securely hold or look the cover in its closed position, while at the sumo time adapting the box to be readily, convcllicntly and repeatedly opened by simply again straightening out the upwardly and outwardly bent flexible tongue.

My invention further consists in the novel construction of parts and devices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein .-;hown and described.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a )art of this s ('-cilication l w'urcl is a )crspectivc VicW of a shect metal box embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sec.- tion through the body on lino 2 2 of Fig. l Fig. 3 is a vertical scction. on line 3-4, of Fig. 1 Fig. 4 is a dctail plan and Fig. 5 is a detail 'vcrtical sectional view illustrating a. modification, in which the llcxiblc br-uidnble tongue on the cover is made integral there? with; and Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating a further modification in which the tongue is integral with the cover.

In the drawing] represents the body of the box, the same comprising, preferably, two upright sides '2, 3, integral bottom 4,

, E said sides 2, 3 and bottom 4 having-integral right angle flanges 55 at the ends thereof, and

within the integral flanges 5 onthe upright sides 2, 3 and bottom 4. l

sides 2, 3 by interfolding the meeting edges into scams 8.

9 is the hinged coversecured to the upright side 3 by a pintle 10 which extends through integral hinge cars 11, 12 on the body of the box at the rear, and on the integral flange or rim 13 of the cover 9 at the rear thereof. Except at the hinge edge of the cover the integral flange or rim 13 of the cover overlaps and embraces the upper end of the box body. p

The box body at the front orupright side thereof opposite the hinge of the cover is provided near the upper edge thereof with an integral outwardly projecting loop or keeper 14 formed by horizontal slits 15 in said upright front side of the body and outwardly offsetting the narrow strip or ortion of the metal between such slits. T is outwardly projecting integral. loop or keeper 14 thus forms with the upright side of the box body a narrow slot through which a thin flexible tongue may pass which its Outside the up right side of the body end flat and snug v against the same.

'llie hinged cover 9 at. the front edge thereof is provided with a thin flexible sheet metal tongue 16 projecting downwardly or parallel to the depending front rim or flange 17 of the two separate piece upright sides 6, 7 fitting.

The separate piece sides 6, 7 are preferably secured to the integral bottom 4 and upright cover and ad: rtcd to pass through the intcgral loop or cepor 14 on the body of the box as the hinged cover is closed. The flexible tongue 16 on the cover after being thus passed through the loop 'or keeper 14 fits on the outside of the front of the box body, and its lower cnd may then be readily bent outwardly and upwardly about or around the loop or keeper-.14, thus securely looking or holding the hinged cover in place in its closed position, while at the same time binding the upper front edge of the body to the front edge of the cover, so that the one serves to rein force the other.

The flexible tongue 16 is preferably made in a separate piece from the cover 9 and furnished with a right angle bend 18 soldered, riveted or otherwise secured to the cover on the inside thereof. This enables the flexible tongue to bemade of thinner and more readily and repeatedly bendable sheet metal than that ordinarily desired for use in making the cover 9 of the box. If preferred however the' bendable tongue may be made integral with the cover 9, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 and 6. For example, by cutting it as an integral lip from the u per portion of the cover, as illustrated in F igs. 4 and 5 of t e drawing where the bendable tongue 19 is formed by the slits 20, 21 in the top portion of the cover and the slit portion bent down parallel with the depending front flange or rim 17 of the cover. This leaves an opening 22' in the top of the cover which is useful for purposes of ventilation of the contents of the ox in cases where the same is of a character l requiring such )rovision.

In the modi ieation illustrated in Fig. 6 the flexible tongue 23 projects integrally from the lower edge of the front flange or rim 17 of the cover 9..

I claim:

1. A sheet metal box comprising in comb nation a rectangular body having at the l parallel slits, and an outwardly projecting integral keeper loop between said slits, and a rectangular hinged cover having at its front edge opposite the hinge of the cover a depending flange overlapping the front side of the body, and provided with a flexible, bend- I able tongue fitting within and embraced by' said flange and projecting below the lower edge of said flange and fitting outside the body ofthe box and passing through said keeper loop as the hinged cover is closed, said tongue closing the openings formed by said slits and being outwardly and upwardly bent about said keeper loop to lock and hold the cover in its closed position, substantially as specified.

2. A sheet metal box, comprising in combination a rectangular body having at the front thereof near its upper edge, parallel slits and 'an outwardly projecting integral loop or keeper, and a hinged rectangular cover having at its front edge opposite the hinge of the cover, a flexible tongue adapted to fit outside the bodyof the box and pass through said loop or keeper as the hinged cover is closed, and closing the openin s formed by said-slits, and to beoutwardlv and u wardly bent about said loop or keeper 01 hold the cover in its closed position,

said flexible tongue being in a separate piece FELIX EBERHAR'I. 

